Chapter 177: The Rock Peak Ruins

Chapter 177: Chapter 177: The Rock Peak Ruins

"So this... is the entrance to the Crown Shrine?"

Although Sora had found the Crown Shrine itself...

The ruins connected to the Legendary Titans weren’t located here.

Instead...

They were scattered throughout several different regions.

Fortunately...

Now that they had reached this place...

Calyrex could finally be of real help.

"Which ruin do you wish to challenge first, Sora?"

Calyrex gently touched a finger to Sora’s forehead.

In an instant...

A series of images appeared before his eyes.

Rock Peak Ruins.

Iceberg Ruins.

Iron Ruins.

Split-Decision Ruins.

The first three housed, respectively...

Regirock.

Regice.

Registeel.

As for the final Split-Decision Ruins...

Both Regieleki and Regidrago slumbered there.

The names of the Titans were rather long and awkward.

However...

Looking carefully, Sora noticed a pattern.

The latter half of each name was simply the English word corresponding to its type.

Rock.

Ice.

Steel.

Electric.

And finally...

Drago, a variation of dragon.

That...

Was the origin of the five Titans’ names.

As well as the locations where each lay sleeping.

"Hmm..."

After a moment’s thought...

Sora realized it didn’t really matter which Titan he captured first.

"Which one’s closest?"

"The Split-Decision Ruins."

"Then let’s start with Regieleki and Regidrago."

Of the five Titans...

Those two were the ones Sora knew the least about.

He’d only caught brief glimpses of them in the anime.

Regieleki, if he remembered correctly...

Had eventually been caught by Goh.

I wonder...

How different will the Regieleki of this world be from the anime version?

If it possessed only the strength shown there...

Sora felt even Lilligant could defeat it without much trouble.

There’d be no need for Ogerpon to step in.

Still...

Having lived in this world for so long...

Sora had already realized something.

Although reality closely resembled the anime...

Many aspects had developed far beyond it.

The clearest example...

Was the destructive power of many Pokémon.

Well...

The Pokémon world is a multiverse, after all.

Maybe this universe just happens to be one of the stronger ones.

Ogerpon splitting mountains apart with a single strike.

Volcanion’s nuclear-level explosions.

Magearna’s kingdom-destroying Ultimate Weapon.

Everything pointed toward one conclusion.

The upper limit of this world...

Was far beyond imagination.

The Regieleki and Regidrago that had looked rather underwhelming in the anime...

Who knew what monsters they might be here?

Better not get careless.

Keeping that in mind...

Sora followed Calyrex to the Split-Decision Ruins.

"..."

Standing before the enormous stone gate...

Half yellow.

Half crimson.

Sora searched for quite a while...

Yet failed to discover any mechanism to open it.

"Calyrex."

"How do we open this door?"

"..."

Calyrex looked somewhat embarrassed.

He remembered where the ruins were...

But the detailed information remained frustratingly vague.

"...Huh?"

"You don’t know either?"

"...I..."

"I’ve forgotten."

Calyrex lowered His head sadly.

"Well..."

"I can’t blame you."

"It’s been over three thousand years."

Sora thought for a moment.

Unfortunately...

He’d never actually watched this portion of the anime.

Or rather...

He’d never had much desire to watch Pokémon Journeys at all.

Thanks to Goh...

Its reputation had simply been too poor.

All Sora knew about this episode...

Was that Gary and Goh had worked together to solve the ruins’ puzzles...

Eventually capturing both Titans.

Now...

They’d been stopped by the front door itself.

"Ponii!"

Ogerpon rolled up her sleeves.

She stepped forward eagerly.

"...Uh."

"Maybe..."

"Let’s not."

Sora was genuinely worried that if Ogerpon swung with full strength...

She’d collapse the entire ruin.

Although Calyrex had mentioned that powerful seals protected the structure...

There was no reason to take unnecessary risks.

If they accidentally buried the whole mountain...

Sora would become even worse than a grave robber.

This was an ancient ruin.

Exactly the sort of place Cynthia adored.

"Calyrex..."

"Can you think a little harder?"

"Mmm..."

Calyrex thought for quite some time.

Sadly...

Nothing came back.

Sora wasn’t particularly good at puzzle-solving either.

"Big Brother Sora!"

Emma suddenly pointed toward one corner of the wall.

"Look here."

"Don’t these patterns..."

"Look like some kind of writing?"

"Writing?"

Sora immediately looked toward Calyrex.

The latter floated over at once.

"The carvings have become extremely weathered..."

"But they are indeed words."

"What do they say?"

Calyrex carefully translated.

"’Gather together the powers of Rock, Steel, and Ice...’"

"’Unite them in one place...’"

"’Only then shall the gate open.’"

"I see."

Sora immediately understood.

"Rock, Steel, and Ice..."

"They refer to the other three Titans."

"In other words..."

"We have to capture those three first."

"Then bring them here."

"Only after that..."

"Will the Split-Decision Ruins open."

The only uncertainty...

Was whether the other ruins had similar unlocking conditions.

If every ruin required keys...

Things would become rather troublesome.

Fortunately...

The Rock Peak, Iceberg, and Iron Ruins lacked the Split-Decision Ruins’ special seal.

"There’s writing here too."

"Allow Me to read it."

Calyrex translated once again.

"’The stone gate may indeed be opened.’"

"’However...’"

"’Once one enters...’"

"’The guardian must be defeated.’"

"’Otherwise...’"

"’The challenger shall remain imprisoned within forever.’"

"...Oh?"

Sora found that rather interesting.

He glanced toward the Pokémon behind him.

Calyrex.

Victini.

Ogerpon.

Volcanion.

Magearna.

Along with the King’s two loyal steeds.

With a lineup like this...

What exactly gave Regice the confidence to act as a dungeon boss?

"Open it."

The moment Sora gave the order...

Calyrex activated His psychic power.

Slowly...

The massive stone door rumbled open.

Revealing the ancient passage beyond.

The first ruin Sora chose...

Was the Rock Peak Ruins, where Regirock slept.

"...Rock..."

As the outsiders stepped inside...

The dim interior gradually brightened.

Following the corridor...

The group eventually arrived before an enormous stone arena.

Looking down from above...

It was clearly an ancient battlefield.

Standing motionless at the far end...

Was a towering Pokémon nearly two meters tall...

Its entire body formed from rugged stone.

"The Rock Titan..."

"Regirock."

A smile appeared on Sora’s face.

Without even turning around to face his Pokémon...

He spoke calmly.

"So..."

"Who wants to greet it first?"

"Ponii!!"

No further words were needed.

A green figure leapt gracefully into the arena...

Landing directly before Regirock.

Sora’s vanguard ace...

Ogerpon...

Had entered the battlefield.

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